New Law Cuts Cost of Transferring the Title of A Motor Vehicle

on
Friday, August 14, 2015

One ugly law that Illinois has imposed on its residents is a requirement that when the ownership of a motor vehicle moves from a late husband to his widow, or from a late wife to her widower, the surviving partner is required to pay a full vehicle transfer fee in order to get a new title and protect his or her right to legally own and drive the vehicle.

Representative Terri Bryant, working with a constituent who brought this issue to her attention, has pushed a bill through the General Assembly to reduce this financial burden. HB 3797 was signed into law on Tuesday, August 4. The new law authorizes the widowed partner to file an application to “correct” the title. The widowed partner will have to submit information to the Secretary of State’s office within 180 days of the death of the original owner. A corrected motor vehicle title applied for in this way will cost $15, as opposed to the $95 charged by the Secretary of State’s office for transferring the title.Information on transferring or correcting an Illinois motor vehicle title can be found at this Secretary of State website.